Projecting headrest



March 28, 1961 INVENTOR ALBERT MSPOUND ATTORNEY PROJECTING HEADREST Albert M. Spound, Charlton Company, Inc.,

Fitchburg, Mass.

Filed Mar. 11, 1958, Ser. No. 720,620

2 Claims. (Cl. 155-177) This invention relates to a new and improved headrest actuating device to be applied to reclining chairs or the like. In this case, the invention proposes a projectible headrest which is normally concealed within the backrest of the chair but which is rotated approximately 180 to be projected to operative position for its normal function in supporting the head of the user, merely upon tilting backward in the chair, in the case of automatic operation, or at the will of the user under manual operation. Reference is made to my copending application Serial No. 682,142, filed September 5, 1957, now Patent No. 2,947,347 granted August 2, 1960, and the objects of the invention herein are generally the same but this case presents a different construction and mechanism for operating the headrest.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear hereinafter.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. l is a view in side elevation with parts removed illustrating the invention;

Fig. 2 is a similar view illustrating the action of the device;

Fig. 3 is a view in rear elevation, looking in the direction of arrow 3, parts being cut away;

Fig. 4 is a plan view looking in the direction of arrow Fig. 5 is a view in elevation illustrating a modification; and

Fig. 6 illustrates a still further modification.

A chair having a frame 10 is provided with a seat and backrest combination as indicated at 12 and 14. In order to illustrate the invention, these have been shown as ap plied to a single unit but as is well known in the art, there may be many variations on the seat and backrest tilting construction. As shown, the seat 12 is pivoted on a bracket 16 mounted on frame 10.

Frame 10 also carries a plate 18 to which is pivoted a lever 20 at the lower end of the lever as illustrated. At its upper end, lever 20 is provided wth rack teeth 22, and the lever is held constantly in mesh with a spur gear 24 by the spring 25. Spur gear 24 is provided with an axle 27 and is also in constant mesh with another spur gear 26. Spur gear 26 is provided with an axle 28 forming a pivot member for a projectable headrest 30.

It will be seen that the headrest 30 is pivotally mounted on the backrest and is adapted to be moved between the positions shown in Figs. 1 and 2. In the position of Fig. 1, the headrest is housed Within the backrest 14 and concealed therein, and in the position of Fig. 2, it has been extended for use for its intended function to support the head of the occupant of the chair. This invention applies especially to low-back chairs in which the head of the occupant extends above the top of the backrest when in sitting position.

When the occupant leans back in the chair as shown, the lever 20 moves upwardly relative to the backrest, and thus turns the gears 24 and 26, causing the headrest 30 to tates Patent 0 tion.

As shown in Fig. 5, the driving rod 32, which is the same as that at 20 in Fig. 1, may be applied directly to a portion of the headrest 34 as at 36. In this case, headrest 34 is merely pivoted at 38 on the backrest -14 and moves between the solid and dotted line positions as shown for the purposes explained above with reference to Figs. 1 and 2. A tension spring 39 is used to apply a counterclockwise force to the driving rod.

The mechanisms of Figs. 1 and 5 may be applied also to a. non-automatic or hand-operated projecting means. As shown in Fig. 6, a lever 40 having a handle 42 in position'to be grasped by the occupant of the chair, may be pivoted as at 44 to the frame of the chair. At its opposite end as at 46, lever 40 is pivoted to a driving rod 48 and this driving rod may be pivoted as at 50 to the headrest 52, which is similar to that at 34 in Fig. 3, and is thereby movable to the dotted line position in Fig. 4. This action may also be made in a reverse direction at the will of the occupant of the chair without reference to the pivotal motion of the seat and backrest. A tension spring 54 or other means is used to apply a counterclockwise force to the driving member 48.

Having thus described my invention and the advantages thereof, I do not wish to be limited to the details herein disclosed, otherwise than as set forth in the claims, but what I claim is:

1. An article of furniture comprising a chair frame, a seat and a backrest thereon, said backrest having a recess therein at the rear and top thereof, said recess being r concealed from view at the front of the backrest, and

means providing for tilting of the backrest from a seating to a reclining position of the chair frame, a pivoted headrest normally located within the recess in said backrest, said headrest being concealed from view from the front of the chair, means for pivoting said headrest from its position within the recess to an exposed useful condition thereof at the top of the backrest in juxta-position therewith, and automatic means for actuating said means for moving said headrest at will from its position in the recess to the projected position thereof upon inclination of the backrest with respect to the chair frame, said lastnamed means including a driving member pivoted at one end to the chair frame, and interengaging geared means between the driving member and the headrest.

2. An article of furniture comprising a chair frame, a seat and a backrest thereon, and means providing for tilting of the backrest from a seating to a reclining position of the chair frame, said backrest having a recess at the rear part only thereof, the front part of the backrest being continuous, a pivoted headrest located within the recess in said backrest, means for projecting said headrest from position within the recess to exposed useful condition therof, and means for actuating said means for moving said headrest at will from its recessed position to the projected position thereof upon inclination of the backrest with respect to the chair frame, said last-named means including a meshing rack-and-gear, the gear being fixed to the headrest and the rack being pivoted to the chair frame.

Lorenz July 15, 

